MIDDLEBURY, VT -- Hampered by an off day by the men's alpine team, Williams finds itself in 6th place after day one at the EISA Regional Championships hosted by Middlebury. The day was not with out bright spots, though, with sophomore Dimitri Luethi skiing to his second career podium, placing 2nd in the men's 10 kilometer classic.
Led by Luethi's 2nd place performance, the men's nordic team placed second on the day, scoring 101 points. A fortuitous bib order placed Luethi one place behind junior Keith Kantack who finished 6th. When Luethi caught Kantack at around 4km, the two were able to work together for the next 6km, with both skiers ultimately recording career best finishes. Junior Mark Johnson finished 28th to complete the team score.
The women's race took place midday, and was affected greatly the capricious weather that rolled in for the afternoon. The first half of the field enjoyed clear weather and fast conditions, while back half raced in a snowstorm that made waxing tricky and skiing slow. With the fastest racers starting later, the results list may look odd to someone who was not there today. For the Ephs, Alice Nelson ground out a 22nd place finish, followed by Kirsten Johnson in 31st and Christina Knapp in 33rd. The team fell to 9th place on the day.
Men's alpine, however, fared even worse. With only one finisher on the first run, the team had virtually no chance to score considerable points. Rain and snow this week meant the course did not hold up well and ultimately claimed the day of 30 skiers. Unfortunately for the Ephs, 5 of those were Williams skiers. In the end, only captain Alex Dyroff finished, coming home in 7th place, tying a season best. The finish puts Dyroff in better standing for NCAA qualifying, but he will need to ski well tomorrow in order to punch his ticket.
Women's alpine appears to be finishing the season on an appropriately strong note. Placing two in the top-10 today, the women finished third as a team, scoring 100 points. Emily Porter continues her late season charger, following last weekend's 2nd place with a 5th today in the slalom. Sophomore Laurel Carter was right behind in 6th, only 0.02 seconds behind over two runs. Freshman Geordie Lonza finished 18th to round out the team score. These three are all but assured to qualify for NCAA championships in Steamboat Springs, CO.
Check back tomorrow for a report on the final day of the Eastern Championships.
